So Close
by Kiku Nakamura
Summary: In which Mashima Taichi writes an essay with the theme "Unattainable Things" for Literature class. He is a coward that realizes it's in human nature to chase things and dreams that are harder to achieve. Can a coward, still be called weak when he knows what his range of achievement is? [Chap. 2- Valentine's Day OMAKE]
1. So Close

**Theme: Unattainable Things**

**Aim for essay- please write an essay with**  
**-an introduction and conclusion**  
**- explain some things that we can't have**  
**- use correct Japanese grammar and spelling**

* * *

_SO CLOSE_  
(an essay by Mashima Taichi)

It's human nature for someone to reach far away. We're blinded by things that shine bright. We don't see something that's right in front of us.

Is it bad not aiming for something closer? Is it to really expected of us to just look at something farther away and call it our desire? It's a dream, isn't it?

However, dreams are no longer dreams when they come true. Is it dreams coming true that we really want? I think that it is.

We neglect things close by. This even goes for people. Because someone's close and we can see them everyday means that they aren't good enough. It's sick. But natural at the same time. Leaving person close by to be neglected.

While the person close doesn't shine as bright, they are the ones supporting them when they aren't their best. They are the ones that see you as a star. However much that little star changes to be brighter, it won't even compare to the memory of that greater star far away.

Things on people's minds are those that are faint. It's something that they think about over and over again as not to forget.

Then just before it disappears, they came back again to renew it. Why is it the one far away, but not the one that's been there first, supporting them over and over again? Endlessly until time stops or forever comes to an end because they have already changed us without us knowing.

We make up fantasies in hopes that tomorrow will be different from the ones before it.

And we dream that we will be the ones that they see a day from now, notice how long we've been standing out in the cold.

It was hardly true though, unless it's the case of them realizing the pain of reality. We then become the safety that they needed. A pillow to cushion the fall, to make something bad feel a bit more bearable.

* * *

In the end, Taichi just crumbled the piece of paper which he was writing on. Surely as dense as Chihaya was, she would have related to the essay if she had a chance to read it. She'd just fall deeper into everything that Arata was that he wasn't.

It wasn't like he ever had a chance anyways. In the end Mashima Taichi was just another coward in a sea of many others.

He kept on telling himself he wouldn't be the one to mess up their three person friendship.

Maybe it would disrupt the balance but it was that night when he tried to make himself believe that he hadn't fallen in love with Ayase Chihaya.

Crumbling that paper left him with passing through denial and another paper to write.


	2. OMAKE

**Valentine's Day OMAKE**

Taichi looked at himself in the mirror when he woke up. The sight that greeted him definitely was not one of the normal ones.

He could barely see it. Not because the mirror was foggy or anything, but because his eyes were swollen and puffy. Mashima Taichi was definitely not supposed to look like that in the morning. That face was left for Chihaya. Seriously, she was the only one who could pull it off and make it _her own_.

Ugh. He didn't want to think of Chihaya because then he would have to go through another round of denial and acceptance. He was too much of a coward to actually ask the girl out anyway.

Maybe, Flounder would help him, with an orchestra of animals that could sing and he would "kiss the girl." Yep, he was officially watching too many of the movies that his sister, Rika watched when she went through a bad break-up. That meant every time that she dumped them. She claimed they were either too ugly, too handsome, too possessive, acted too much like her father, hated her make up and heels. Then she bought ice cream and made Taichi sit with her through every Disney movie that she could find from the rentals. What confused him the most was that _she_ was the one that broke up with the men, so why was _she _the one crying?

He just sat through it and was forced to sing parts that the female lead had. Voice cracks and constant blowing of a nose was heard very often in the Mashima household.

When Rika walked into the dining room, she thought that her brother was dead and was haunting the house as a ghost. "Is that you, Taichi?" she asked, her voice quivering.

"Um, yes. At least the last time I checked, I was. Maybe that changed in a matter of seconds."

"You aren't a ghost, right?"

"I am very much human."

"You don't look like one. Check your face in the mirror."

"For your information, you don't look much better." He stared at the dark circles she had under her eyes. That never happened unless it was the morning of February 14th. She only got them from staying up late at night making chocolates over and over again. Oh no, not today.

He dreaded walking to college that day. He was glad that he didn't have any lockers like high school did, but that didn't stop people from putting chocolates and little sweets inside of his desk. The professors would lecture him if he didn't clear out everything in there by the end of the day.

He mentally yelled at Kami-sama for not making it Saturday so he didn't have to go to college. That was also probably the reason why he got trampled on all over school that day. Taichi had swore at God and not taken it back. It was the day when he went unnoticed, pretty much alone and depressed. Be careful what you wish for.

* * *

Taichi woke up from a nightmare. Who knew that he really was a conceited person who took everything for granted? He thought that popularity was good but being avoided in the halls was no good either.

He breathed out a sigh of relief and said "It's only a dream. There's nothing to be afraid of."

Next to him he heard an oddly familiar voice say, "It wasn't a dream." Taichi turned his head to see Wataya Arata staring back at him. And then his eyes rolled back.

"Hey, Chihaya!" Arata called. "Do you think I scared your boyfriend too much?"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**I think this is my first V-Day(Singles Awareness Day/Forever Alone Day) special in about two years. I never update on time, so here you guys go. Not to sappy, in my opinion. Quite angsty with the essay, though. I never expected to end it with humor.**

**Anyways, Happy Valentines Day. I hope all of you singles out there relax yourself because it's just another day. Another FRIDAY thank goodness. Today is still not my day though. I messed up through the whole gym period and got a volleyball throw at my cheekbone/eye area. Ice packs are something that I have to appreciate because I would not like to start my vacation with a swollen face.**

**If anyone has any questions involving the story, just put it in a review or PM me.**

**Reviews will be gladly appreciated.**

**The whole day, my inner voice has been telling me, "****_If only there was someone out there who loved you." _****A famous quote by now, really.**

**Word Count: 1,134 (for both chapters)  
Date Completed: 2/14/14**

**Signed,  
Ivy**


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